Darcy was looking at me from the couch where Lady Catherine had ordered us to sit down at. His blue eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter as he got up and walked over to me.
"Ella, it's good to see you again." He said as he took my hand in his briefly, before dropping it and striding over to where Holmes stood and embracing him in a bear hug. Lady C adjusted her tiny round spectacles and peered down her nose at them, sniffing with disdain "What do you think you are doing, Darcy? Such displays of affection are not proper and I warrant you know that! I am not quite sure how I have the patience to put up with you and your cousin!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Darcy quickly stepped away from Holmes, walking over to Lady Catherine's chair and kneeling before her, "Aunt, I beg you to pardon me, had I known it would cause you distress, I would have never have thought of it in the first place." He said humbly. Excuse me? Darcy + Humble = ERROR. Who, or what, was this Lady Catherine De Bourgh? She looked down at Darcy condescendingly, "Forgiven." She said sharply and waved him away from her. The afore mentioned Lady then looked at Holmes and I, "I have had enough of you young folk for today, I will not see you until dinnertime." She said before dismissing us. I sighed softly and smiled, relieved at having a quick escape.
I walked out the room, waving casually at Lady Catherine as Holmes and Darcy bowed to her. I smirked as I heard her mutter something about "that insolent snip". Holmes rushed up to me, "Ella! Couldn't you have tried to make a good impression? Aunt's really got it in for you now, you better watch out. I'd stay out her way if I were you, poppet."
I turned to Holmes, "You think I can't handle an old lady? Holmes, really?" I heard a low laugh behind me and turned around to see Darcy trying unsuccessfully to hold back laughter. He held up his hands, "You haven't met Aunt Catherine, Ella. It's going to be war this week, isn't it?"
I raised my eyebrow, "And that's what you're finding so hilarious that you feel the need to... Dare I say it? Laugh?" I said sarcastically, he was really starting to bug me. Darcy rolled his eyes sarcastically (A/N: Lawl, you're all probably thinking "He can do that?"), "I laugh. I'm human, I'm allowed to laugh!" I feigned surprise, "Really? I must have missed that life lesson!" I turned back and saw that Holmes had conveniently left us on our own.
I turned back to Darcy, "Um, so..." I said awkwardly as he carried on walking slowly, when suddenly he turned back to me, "How's the foot?" Darcy asked, gesturing to my foot. I looked down to see what was wrong with my foot, then I blushed, realizing what he had meant, "Oh, um, yeah, it's been fine." I looked up at him shyly, "Thanks."
He shrugged my thanks off and then strode down the hallway, looking for Holmes. I fumed as I stared a hole into his grey suited back, why was he so confusing? I turned down another hallway and wandered away from Darcy and wherever Holmes was. Darcy was so confusing with his gorgeous blueberry eyes and thick, silky dark hair, his glori- I abruptly stopped myself, Darcy was no more than an arrogant pest. One minute he could be openly insulting me and my family, the next he would be asking me how I was, listening intently as I answered. How could his family have dealt with him? Mind you, they were probably just like him. Apart from Holmes and his family.
I ascended a flight of old stairs, still fuming about Darcy. He was annoying, arrogant, obnoxious, selfish, prejudiced and proud. I huffed, turned into a random room and gasped. It was a child's playroom, painted a sunlight yellow with a play castle to the side of the large room. Wooden swords were lying haphazardly in one corner, near the large bookcase that covered the entirety of one wall. I peeked into the castle and saw that the bottom was a plush sofa. Sitting down, I saw a old Fender leaning against the wall, I covered my mouth in excitement. I loved Fenders. I picked it up gingerly and started plucking out the chords of my one of my favourite songs, I Will Follow You into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie.
(READ THE LYRICS)
I finished the song and smiled softly, wondering who played in here. It hadn't been used in years, because, unlike the rest of the immaculate house, this one was rather dusty, dust drifting lazily in the sunlight. Sensing someone, I looked up suddenly and saw Darcy standing near the door, leaning against the bookcase, his blue eyes watching me silently.
"Darcy! Y- you gave me a fright." I stuttered, feeling embarrassed, while brushing my unruly brown hair out of my face. Darcy looked slightly haunted before coughing and adjusting his position, "I apologize. I wasn't expecting you to be here either. This was Holmes', Georgiana's and my playroom, where we had most of our adventures." He said, coming to sit next to me on the squishy red cushions inside the play castle, banging his head slightly on the side. I shifted slightly away from him, a bit unsettled at our close proximity, "Oh, Holmes told me about the infamous game of Pirates where Georgiana ended up tied to a bed post and left there for hours while you and Holmes had an epic battle, that is, until Holmes pushed you into the lake outside." I said, trying not to laugh, but, of course, failing miserably. Darcy seemed rather wistful, as he re-counted the days of his childhood. A silence came over us and, surprisingly, it wasn't as unbearable as I would have thought, rather than awkward, it seemed companionable, like a silence only the best of friends could share.
Don't get the wrong idea, Darcy and I were not friends.
A knock at the door broke us out of our individual reveries, startling Darcy who immediately bumped his head on the ceiling of the castle again, while I scrambled out, Darcy following me, but landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor, knocking me back over. Trying to pick himself up off the floor, Darcy began stuttering an apology, but stopped when I held up a hand, "Just don't." I said in that wonderfully delightful way I had, "Come in." I called, brushing dust off my ribbed tank top, watching the oak door to see who it was and desperately hoping it wouldn't be the Witch, Lady C, in other words.
Thankfully, it was only Holmes, "Um, it is safe to enter, isn't it?" He asked, looking between Darcy and I, Darcy looking as calm as ever and me, looking a bit disgruntled at having been knocked over. I nodded, waving my hand as if it would wave away his doubts, "Of course! Enliven us with your wonderful company, Holmes!" I threw my hands up in the air expectantly, watching a mischievous smirk come over his face.
"Darcy, old chap, have you forgotten that story I told you about Ella? Perhaps you would be so kind as to share it with us?" Holmes asked, making me go pale as I thought about which story he could have possibly told Darcy, of all people! So I took the last resort.
Picking up one of the wooden swords, I pointed it at Darcy's chest, looking at him menacingly, "If you tell any story about me, I swear I will run you through." I growled, trying to think about what I would do if he continued telling that story. However, at that moment, something came sweeping in an ark towards my sword, knocking it away from Darcy's chest. I whirled around to see Holmes brandishing another wooden sword, grinning impishly, "Come on then!" I took a swipe at him, trying to catch him off-guard, but failing as he deflected my blow and lunged for my chest. I darted away and raised my sword for another swipe when it flew out of my hands, I spun on my heel to find Darcy trying to suppress a smile and again, wielding another sword. I arched an eyebrow, "So, you have joined the losing team?" I pouted, before diving for my sword, sliding along the wooden floor, grabbing it and leaping back to my feet and holding it in the 'en garde' position. Darcy, likewise, lowered his sword to that position, "It appears so, Miss Bennet." He said, before whipping his sword away and making a move for my sword. Deflecting it, I burst into the hallway, running down it backwards, trying to fight off Darcy and Holmes who followed me up, "Oh, you did not want to challenge me to a duel!" I yelled, breathless, swiping their swords away, then turning on my heels and running down a flight of stairs. Bolting through a doorway, I turned around and parried a lunge made by Holmes, and a sophisticated swipe by Darcy. Having run down the stone steps, I ran across the soft grass plane, beside a long lake water feature (A/N: I mean like the long river thing in front of that old woman's house in Becoming Jane {it's a terrible picture, but it is kinda what I'm thinking of: w w w . .images?q=tbn:) Darcy and Holmes running after me. I felt a sword barely miss my side and I stepped onto the marble side of the lake, running along it until another blow almost knocked me off. Spinning on my heel, I turned to face Darcy and thrust my sword at him, which he deflected so well that it knocked me off balance. I wobbled and tried to grab onto something, anything, which happened to be Darcy's shirt.
Unfortunately, I pulled us both into the lake.
A/N: Okay, so before you start murdering me, I have an explanation for my absence: I was on holiday and was still working there because I have a ton of work that I need to keep up with. Anyway, I need to ask you guys something: Should I re-write this story in third person format? I feel it would probably allow me to describe more, how what is going on in the character's heads, what they're actually feeling instead of what they say they're feeling and I could show other character's POVs more. Send a review with your thoughts please!
