Chapter 9

The Pemberley party awoke to unseasonable rain the following morning. And indeed the morning after. It was not the sort of rain that proposed any real threat to the Pemberley grounds, but it was also not the sort of weather for being outdoors - and definitely not to be gallivanting across the moors. Both Elizabeth and Mr Darcy were disappointed that the promised trip to Eyam could not take place during her stay, for Elizabeth had been overly excited to see the peaks, and Mr Darcy was desirous to fulfil his promise to the lady. He was also unhappy that she was unhappy, and he was no longer surprised at this revelation.

Fortunately for them all, Elizabeth was rather accustomed to keeping four sisters entertained on a rainy afternoon, so the party spent a few blissful days exploring the indoors of Pemberley. Mr Darcy and Mr Gardiner had made more progress than expected with their business affairs, but had not spent so much time on matters of business that they had not managed to join in on the fun at all.

Georgiana had taken it upon herself to teach her friend how to paint. She had been surprised at how quick of a study Elizabeth was. A few basic principles and her skill was much improved. Georgiana had saved the atrocious drawing her friend had sent her during their separation over the summer, and decided to place the two together to show her friend how far she had come. They were inconsolable with laughter for the best part of a half hour. Every time they thought they had managed to suppress the giggles, they would look back at the two pictures - or eachother - and the laughter would start anew. Mr Darcy heard the delightful sounds of feminine laughter down the corridor from his study. He was so enticed by the sounds of merriment that he decided to down tools, excuse himself from Mr Gardiner's company and follow his ears to find out what was causing them so much joy.

When he turned the corner and crossed the threshold of Georgiana's makeshift studio, the sight that he beheld was so delightful his breath caught and he found himself adding a soft, deep chuckle to the melodic soundscape. The two of them were doubled over laughing at something on the writing table which he could not see. Their laughter was so infectious that it did not matter that he could not see its cause. When they heard the deep chuckle behind them, Elizabeth immediately straightened up and softened her hearty laughter into a small, suppressed chuckle, as did Georgiana.

"Forgive me, I did not come to diminish your enjoyment, ladies," Mr Darcy said sincerely.

"Do not worry yourself, Mr Darcy, for you have saved us from the very cruel fate of laughter-induced chest injury."

"Then I am glad to have been of service."

Georgiana was teetering on a laughing fit again.

"May I ask what it is that has you laughing so?" He asked.

"You may, but I think it is easier to show you," Elizabeth replied, turning to pick up the two paintings. The minute that she saw her old creation, the laughter was back again.

Mr Darcy came close behind her, looking over her shoulder to look at the two pictures and let out a booming laugh. He could feel her trembling in front of him, and was momentarily distracted from the humour by her closeness.

"It seems my hypothesis was correct," he said contemplatively, and continued at her arch look that was as clear in intent as if she had spoken her question aloud. "I wondered at the time of receiving the original Miss Bennett piece, if you had exaggerated your lack of talent to bring some humour into our quiet corner of the country. And I believe I was correct, or indeed you are an exceedingly fast learner."

Elizabeth blushed at the intimacy of their physical closeness with him almost touching her and looking over her shoulder, and the intimacy of him knowing so much of her character from one meeting and Georgiana speaking of her in front of him. She felt a strange tugging at her chest that told her she wanted to repay the same intimacy of knowing him beyond what he openly shared with the world.

"I have been found out," she said indignantly, and they were all swallowed by laughter anew. Georgiana managed to not be too upset that her friend had deceived her, given that the small deception had been designed for her benefit.

"I do not know if I can ever trust you again, Lizzy," she said with a tone of mock-indignation.

"I am sorry for lying to you. But you sounded so sombre in your letters, I was forced to resort to drastic measures."

"I was, and I enjoyed your letters a great deal," Georgiana said. And then, heart racing, added, "we both did."

Mr Darcy had the good grace to blush, but did not deny Georgiana's statement. He felt that the natural reason for his presence had passed, but he could not bring himself to leave just yet.

"What was your next piece of study for your art class, Miss Darcy?" He asked. "I should like to join in some sketching, if I may."

Georgiana was surprised at his petition to join, but her philosophy to never discourage any playfulness on his behalf had her inviting him to sit whilst she arranged some flowers to form a still life. Whilst she was arranging, he sat himself down on a chair opposite the couch where Elizabeth had been sitting, so that he could watch her drawing as he himself took in the composition.

They enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours sketching and talking. Elizabeth was pleased to find that, whilst the picture of propriety when out and about amongst the ton, Mr Darcy in the comfort of his own home was quite happy to get involved in any part of domestic life - whether designed for him or for the fairer sex. He was a charming conversationalist, who wasn't afraid to challenge her when they had differing opinions, and was quick to explain his convictions in a clear and inoffensive way. She found herself quite enlightened by their discussion over the afternoon, and surprised herself by taking more care and attention when getting ready for dinner than she usually did. She told herself that her desire to look her best was to match the general splendour of the setting, but there was a quiet voice that reminded her that she had so far dined multiple times in said splendour, and it was only after a particularly joyful afternoon with Georgiana and her brother that she made a special effort to look pleasing for him, for them.

~.~

On the third day of rain - the day before the Gardiners and Elizabeth were due to depart for Mr Gardiner to conduct some business further north in the lake country - Elizabeth and Georgiana had planned for an indoor picnic. The plan was to use the open space in the ballroom, lay out a large blanket (or few) and enjoy a summer picnic, in the autumn, and sheltered from the rain. The ballroom then offered space for a few garden games to be enjoyed with the safety of a roof over their heads.

When the Gardiners reached the ballroom, they breathed a collective gasp of astonishment. What the two girls had managed to achieve in such a short space of time was marvellous. There was gossamer hanging from the ceiling to create a gauzy fairy kingdom. Cushions and blankets had been procured and liberally spread across the floor to make a perfect grassy woodland carpet. Tasteful candles were sprinkled where there was no gossamer to set alight, leaving the scent of fresh beeswax hanging in the air. They padded softly against the plush carpet towards where the girls were sitting and scheming in the centre of the room.

"Do you think they would play such a game?" Lizzy had asked Georgiana. Upon noticing her aunt and uncle in close proximity, she changed the subject. "Welcome to the Darcy Forest Wonderland, we hope you enjoy your visit."

"This is amazing, girls," aunt Gardiner said sincerely. She was offered a glass of wine and some sweets, and directed to a chaise longue or a soft pile of pillows to sit down. Mr Gardiner very chivalrously offered to sit atop the pillows so his wife could sit in the chaise, so it was settled.

Mr Darcy arrived shortly afterwards, having taken slightly longer than usual with his valet. He was particularly fastidious about his cravat and cologne, because he wanted to fit in with the promised fantastical scene… or so he told himself.

With the whole party assembled, the full lunch was removed from the picnic baskets, and a very enjoyable hour was passed with the party overstuffing themselves and relaxing in companionable calm. When they had finished, a dessert basket was brought by a member of the kitchen staff.

"I could not eat another mouthful," said Georgiana, stretching back to lengthen her tummy and to determine whether there was room for any particular sweets.

"The food was so delightful, I fear I am also too stuffed to manage dessert," Elizabeth echoed, with an apologetic look to the servant.

"Perhaps we should play a game to let our lunch settle, and we can enjoy our desserts with tea afterwards," Georgiana suggested.

This was met with general agreement from the others, and she proposed a game of sardines, a game that Elizabeth used to play with her sisters on a regular basis, and that they had been discussing earlier.

Mr and Mrs Gardiner thought it sounded silly but fun, and in high spirits from the picnic and the wine, Mrs Gardiner volunteered to hide first - Mr Darcy did not have much of a say in the matter, but thought it sounded fun - if a bit juvenile. He reminded himself of how un-youthful Georgiana's childhood had been and set aside his sensible-yet-boring self to take part in some silly fun for an hour or so.

He supposed he was at a slight advantage compared to all but Georgiana - for he had found a lot of the best hiding places as a child. He was correct in his assumption of the Gardiners. First Mrs Gardiner and then Mr Gardiner were both found relatively quickly, with Georgiana delighting in being the first to find both of them. Mrs Gardiner had found a spot behind a curtain in the ballroom - ingeniously slamming the door whilst their eyes were all closed to confuse them into thinking she had left the room. Well, all but one of them. And Mr Gardiner had hidden under the large table in the billiards room.

Elizabeth had reached the Billiard room last of all, so it was her turn to hide in the next round. She quickly scurried off and found a large hollow under the stairs in the great entrance hall. Heaving a large storage crate to one side, she managed to hide out of sight from the hall itself, or from the stairwell. The others rushed off in all directions to find her, the Gardiners both assuming she would have run straight to the library.

Mr Darcy was trying his best to reject his ingrained propriety and enjoy the game, but was significantly slower in his scampering than the others, such that he was alone when he reached the great staircase. He hadn't spotted the pale cream of Elizabeth's dress when he walked past but as he started to climb the stairs he heard a faint, muffled sneeze. He looked around at the servants to see if he was the only one that had heard it. They were all staring straight ahead, with a mischievous twinge at their smiles the only thing that betrayed their stoicism. He thought the sound had come from underneath him, so made to look in the little alcove under the stairs. And a surge of childish pride came to him as he pulled aside a large chest and saw a red-faced Elizabeth with her hands over her nose. It was awfully dusty down here, he could see where the sneeze had come from.

He gestured for her to make space for him, and bent his long legs into the barely existent space in the alcove, curling around her like a slender leather bookmark gently settling between the pages of a delicate book. He hauled the large chest behind them to regain the secrecy of the hiding spot.

What followed was the most intense fifteen minutes of his life. Every single part of his being wanted to kiss her, his desire was a physical force swallowing the non-existent space between them. They could not speak for the risk of ruining the game, and he thought it was just as well, for his thoughts did not dare repeating to a gentlewoman. It was as if his brain had been removed and replaced with pure instinct, and that instinct was reminding him loudly that her leg was touching his right calf, and that he was sharing her air - dust and all - and that she was looking at him with wide eyed curiosity and definitely not disdain and maybe he had a chance of winning her after all and-

"Mr Darcy are you quite alright?" She whispered with a gentle press to his hand to bring him to the present. He could not look her in the eyes but he found the presence of mind to nod and apologise. He was a bit overwhelmed by the skin-to-skin contact that she had initiated in squeezing his hand.

"I did not want to ruin the game by talking, Elizabeth, but now you have broken the silence, let me tell you how glad I am to have had you here this week. What could have been yet another subdued and empty week of solitude for my sister and I has instead been the single most delightful week of my adult life."

"Well, I cannot claim responsibility for all of the fun," she replied with a wry smile, thrilling on the inside with his compliment and the intensity with which he was looking at her. He had such gorgeously blue eyes set like sapphires in his perfectly symmetrical and devastatingly handsome face. "I have had a very willing accomplice in darling Georgie, and she has such a doting brother who has played an excellent role as host." She paused and gave him a warm smile, "thank you for indulging our whimsy, and for being so good to her - she is such a dear girl."

"It has truly been a pleasure," he said, with feeling, his deep and non-whispered baritone echoing against the hard marble of the great hall. Her widened eyes and a squeeze to the hand she had forgotten she was holding alerted him to his mistake. His stomach sank, to know that it was his fault that their delightful interlude was to come to a close. It was the first time that he had engendered some kind of hope that she might return his feelings, which were growing stronger and more irreversible by the day.

Elizabeth was surprised when he spoke at a regular volume, breaking the silent bubble they had been ensconced in. She felt her heart sink when she heard the echo of his honeyed tone - for surely they would be found now. She savoured the skin to skin contact of their hands together. She knew she should not have been alone with him at all, let alone in such compromising confinement, but she could not bring herself to regret a single second. Her aunt and uncle would soon agree that propriety had no place in Pemberley. And she would have delightful memories of a short time spent as the sole object of Mr Darcy's focus, and of his large hand absent-mindedly holding hers.

As expected, Georgiana soon found them - and the hiding spot really wasn't large enough for three people, so the game finished soon after that. Mr and Mrs Gardiner wilfully believed that Georgiana had found Lizzy first, and that the light blush they saw on Mr Darcy for some time after had come from the exertion of searching high and low for her hiding place.

The game was declared a success and very little was said further on the topic. At dinner, Georgiana Darcy once again proved her great accomplishment by delivering a rousing speech that would have not been out of place in Parliament, by tone. The topic - of course - was the idea that their visitors should return when their business further north was concluded. For then they could visit the peaks at Eyam as her brother had promised earlier in the week.

This was readily agreed to, a further stay of three days to visit Eyam and continue to explore the Pemberley Estate. They effusively thanked their hosts for their generous hospitality and retired early to ensure they were well rested ahead of their journey the following morning.

Both Mr Darcy and Elizabeth fell asleep with visions of a small alcove which somehow still kept too much space between them and their counterpart.

~.~

The business trip was fairly uneventful in the case of Mr and Mrs Gardiner. It was not expected to be particularly challenging, but there was an understanding that the proceedings would benefit from Mr Gardiner being present over sending a steward. And indeed that was the case. He finished the short trip looking forward to updating Mr Darcy with his progress.

Elizabeth simply adored the adventure of exploring a new corner of the country. She was delighted to visit local points of interest. A particular favourite was the large and imposing figure of tumbledown Fountains Abbey. She found herself imagining whole lives which had been lived below her feet, when the abbey was thriving and before it started crumbling. She took a day trip to York with her aunt, where she visited the cathedral for a morning service. She enjoyed browsing the local market in the Shambles and, contrary to her similar explorations at Ramsgate, managed to not get into any mischief this time. Perhaps full time accompaniment by her aunt had some merits, for she was not accosted by any redcoats either.

The only real surprise of the trip was the degree to which Elizabeth found herself missing Mr Darcy. She had first assumed that her general melancholy was due to departing from her dear friend Georgiana and from the remembrance of such joyful times in Pemberley. But the more she reflected on it, the more her dreams filled with a particularly piercing pair of blue eyes, the more she longed for a witty challenge when she made a throwaway comment about one of the many sights they visited. She realised she was looking forward to reuniting with both of them, in equal measure. Her thoughts returned often to their quiet fifteen minutes during sardines, and how it had felt to be so accidentally intimate with each other.

Elizabeth had never thought herself a romantic - in fact her dear sister Jane had upbraided her for her cynicism on multiple occasions. She had made no secret of her resignation to becoming an old maid and doting aunt to Jane's many children, mentioning her general distrust and disinterest in men on multiple occasions. But there was something in Mr Darcy's manner that had completely undone her. She struggled to divert her thoughts from him for above five minutes. Not only was he distractingly handsome, but he was so caring towards her friend Georgie, and deviously intriguing when he uplifted and challenged her at the same time. She had never met anyone quite like him.

She would have blushed to know how similar Mr Darcy's thoughts were in her absence. He was likewise continually reminded of their close contact, perhaps more so given he often walked past their alcove, and the spot where she chuckled at his poor jokes, and the picture in the gallery which she had so enjoyed. Her absence had counter-intuitively left quite the physical presence in his house. He did not know how he was going to permit her return to Hertfordshire after she returned to them.

Georgiana was happy to see the evidence of her brother's preference for her friend, but she was looking forward to their return when she would be free from his constant sighing and lack of focus. They had had a quiet few days - she had caught up her studies whilst her brother was working. They shared the same space in his study - her at her mother's writing desk and he at his own large desk. It was not that there was a lack of working space elsewhere in the large house, rather they feared the silence of a whole day in separation after the liveliness of the past few days would cause re-entry of the solemnity of the months prior. The quiet companionship ensured the three days between Elizabeth's visits passed quickly.