Elizabeth flew down the stairs. The shawl she'd donned almost as an afterthought, so as to protect against the cold air outside of her chambers, slipped slightly from her shoulder as she skipped over the bottom step, landed gracefully on the hall carpet and proceeded to hurry towards the parlour. She'd dressed as quickly as her excited fingers had allowed, Darcy calling for her maid but her services had proved superfluous such was the speed at which she fastened her dress and twisted her hair into a loose knot at the nape of her neck, her stays ignored for now. In truth she felt anything beyond her dressing gown was solely for the sake of decorum should a servant be at their business already, for surely the person she was rushing to meet would not care.

She paused at the door to catch her breath, to compose herself sufficiently back to that which was fitting as mistress of the house. Smoothing her palms over her skirts and inhaling deeply, she pushed gently at the half open door and entered. The warmth of the room was met with her mild surprise, it taking but a moment to realise that her husband would have anticipated the need and ordered the fire lit. With breakfast taken elsewhere it was too early otherwise for it to have come about in the ordinary way of things. This evidence of his unspoken, instinctive kindness struck her, although really it shouldn't have done given her ongoing discovery that it was his character to be as attentive to the smaller details as the larger. The thought was fleeting however as she pushed it aside to take in the sight before her, the slender figure of a girl just a few years junior to herself standing in front of the cherry wood cabinet.

"Kitty!" she cried out in rapture, "Fitzwilliam said it was you but I scarcely believed him until this very moment."

The two women rushed towards one another, the older throwing her arms around the other to pull her in tightly. Lizzy couldn't help but feel the full force of her emotion as it erupted from her chest. As wonderful as it was to be Mrs Darcy she hadn't been blind to how she'd missed her family and she felt it keenly now as she embraced, with overwhelming joy, her sister. They broke apart and with felicitous giggles clutched each other's hands and staggered together towards the settee to sink down onto its cushions. Their mirth at being reunited continued as they asked after each other's health, Kitty of Mr Darcy and Lizzy of their family, and it was only the gentle rattling of the arriving tea tray that quieted them. Their attention was temporarily distracted as it was carefully placed on the table at one end of the room and Elizabeth acknowledged the efforts of the maid with grateful thanks before the door was softly closed.

"I am so surprised and delighted to see you, Kitty," Lizzy enthused with a squeeze of her sister's hand, not at all ready to relinquish it. "But how did you come to be here? And why? I cannot begin to fathom it."

Kitty released her and straightened, her expression dropping slightly as she considered the lace detail of her sleeve.

"Shall I pour the tea?" she offered suddenly and Elizabeth started at the suggestion. As mistress the serving of guests was her role to fulfil and one she'd forgotten in her haste to more fully comprehend the situation before her. She corrected that now and, finding a little equanimity, moved to fix a cup for them both, pleased to be able to offer some sustenance in the form of rolls warm from the oven. She'd held Mrs Mance, the long-standing Longbourn cook, in the greatest esteem, never having cause for complaint given the delights that were so often served to them but, not for the first time as her lips met with the most delicious of tastes, she acknowledged that the talents of Mrs Jackson, who ruled the Pemberley kitchens with emphatic assurity, where of a higher order. A familiar quiet settled upon the room as they chewed delicately on their bread and sipped at their tea, and for a moment it was as if they were back under their father's roof such was the unexpressed comfort that existed between them.

Having taken their fill, Elizabeth returned their cups and saucers to the table and enquired again as to her sister's presence. She was tempted towards all kinds of imaginings as to the outrageous adventures that must have led Kitty to Pemberley's door but she demanded of herself to remain calm and to listen with openness. And, at length, her patience was rewarded.

"You mustn't be cross with me, Lizzy," Kitty began cautiously, her eyes flicking up to her sister for an inkling of the reassurance for which she felt in great need of. Finding that the smile offered in reply was genuine in nature and sufficient in quelling her anxiety, she breathed deeply to garner yet further courage and began in earnest.

It had all been going so well, she explained, her life beyond the much discussed wedding of the oldest Bennet girls. She and Mary had felt no small amount of trepidation at the prospect of being left behind, the risk posed by their mother's attention being reduced from five to two in such short order. But an unexpected tranquillity had fallen over Longbourn and the cause of it has created much speculation between them. Their much peddled theory was that with three daughters married and the pressure of uncertainty and looming poverty lifting, their mama's nerves had been pacified. Certainly it could not be that lessons had at last been learnt as to the wisdom of forcing a match where no true regard was assured so that the remaining girls were not to be directed towards prosperity over affection or even love. And so whilst they longed to be left alone to seek their own happiness they had agreed that they felt little hope of it. However, the respite from the gossiping talk of handsome men and their likely wealth was infinitely welcome regardless of the longer term prospect of its continuation.

"And so it has been, Lizzy, for some months now. Mary sings and plays and reads about as well as she ever did, and I walk." She paused as she espied her sister's reaction and allowed herself to laugh gently at it. "You think me telling a falsehood but I assure you it's true. Without Lydia to keep me distracted, I find that perhaps I do take after you rather more than I ever let myself believe."

"And where do you walk?" Elizabeth enquired, her own mind taken back sharply to the rolling pastures of Hertfordshire.

"Oh, the old familiar routes," she confirmed in a casual manner, "The estate boundary, the Mount, that delightful path along the riverbank. And then of course there is Meryton should there be errands to run and to the Lucas'. I fear Maria and I see far too much of each other but it is nice to be ourselves together, no longer outwitted or outcharmed by those above and below us in age."

The eyes of the two sisters met and Kitty instantly felt herself colour. "I'm sorry, that was unkind."

"No, no," Lizzy remarked, reaching over to her sister's arm in reassurance, "I understand. It is not easy to live in the shadows of others." She paused to garner her thoughts before continuing. "But this all sounds rather idyllic. I do not quite see how this led you to Derbyshire."

Kitty didn't rush to reply, her fingers playing at the lace edging of her sleeve once more. "Perhaps that was where it unravelled," she said almost to herself, her voice dropping considerably, "I had found what it was to be content with myself, no longer reliant on others for my entertainment and self-worth."

"Surely those are good things?" Lizzy urged gently, sensing the crux of the matter was approaching, but if Kitty had been minded to expand the point she had scant opportunity as they both jumped at a knock at the parlour room door.

It opened and a housemaid, different from before and in a dress that seemed to drown her slight form so poorly was the fit, entered and offered a shallow curtsey before nervously crossing the floor. Without a word she shakingly held out a folded square of paper which Elizabeth duly took, the action followed immediately by her all but dashing from the room without a look backwards.

"You mustn't mind Milly," Elizabeth explained as she slowly and carefully unfolded the note she'd been handed, "She's very new and I've not managed to convince her that I am not quite the fear-inducing mistress of her imaginings. Although," she added with a chuckle, "I do believe I've made some progress on that score although clearly not…"

She tailed off as her eyes drifted downwards, her mind finding itself too suddenly consumed with the words set out in front of her to finish the thought. She read it twice, her mouth unconsciously dropping open before she came to her senses and firmly closed it. Without explanation she stood and moved to where a cord was discreetly positioned alongside the length of an elegantly gilded mirror and tugged on it gently, the distant bell that both sisters knew had been rung somewhere deep below them bringing to them within a short time a further servant to the room to whom Elizabeth began to speak discreetly.

Kitty watched on. She assumed the man to be the butler given it was the same one as who'd greeted her on arrival not an hour before. His instructions received, he glanced at her briefly before disappearing to enact them, no doubt without question. His look, although one that spoke of the utmost discretion, told her that which she already knew. She'd considered herself to be against the clock from the moment of her departure towards the north, the miles spent in consideration of it and how she might best present her case. But it seemed that the tale she'd begun to share had not been done quickly enough and, from the reddening cheeks of her sister, whether they be the result of fury or concern, Kitty concluded that the game was about to be up.


I just re-read chapter one and goodness me, what a lot of typos there were. I read and re-read before I post but still they get through. I hope I caught them in this one too but apologies if not! I am so thankful for your warm support for this second foray of mine into P&P. I hope the visitor was more surprising than disappointing…