Elizabeth woke refreshed and energized. She quickly donned a simple dress and bonnet, tying her hair into a quick bun and left the house through the servants' entrance, already aware the front door would not be unlocked yet. In the garden, she could smell the thickly scented air and fresh grass. While she did not prefer formal gardens in general, the flowers at Rosings were spectacular. As she walked through the rows, she could smell the lilacs. Occasionally, she paused to brush her fingers over their silky petals.

Wishing to share the feeling, she made a note to ask about collecting some flowers to make scented water. Lilac water was Jane's favorite, and she hoped to lift Jane's spirits when she returned to London. With a pang of regret, she remembered she had lost all of Jane's letters in the fire. Fretting, Elizabeth continued her walk to her favorite grove, the dew cooling her feet as she walked.

The quiet cold effectively pushed her melancholy away, and she arrived at the grove ready to fill her senses with nature. Starlings chirped in the higher branches while robins bounced around on the ground, hunting for worms. The first few blooms of spring were showing, and Elizabeth even spotted a small rabbit hopping under a bush.

Delighted with the world around her, she found a dry patch of earth under an acorn tree and simply watched the animals move around as though she were not there. Unaware of time passing, Elizabeth was startled when she heard a group of men walking through the grove. Knowing she ought not be sitting out alone, she made herself as small as possible and waited quietly. They talked as they passed by.

"I don't believe it. A gentleman does not avoid matrimony and countless entrapments for years and then suddenly fall in love. She must have done something to him."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes in disgust. She ought not listen to neighborhood gossip. There were quite a few gentlemen in the area, and she doubted she knew the man in question. Still, he deserved some privacy. However, the conversation continued despite her disinclination to listen.

"She had done nothing! My Sally says she was asleep on the ground when he lifted her onto his lap. How can she be blamed for his actions?"

Oh dear, Elizabeth thought. That sounded terrible. She felt sorry for the poor couple. The man speaking must be Sally's father. She had often heard the young maid speak of her family. Her father was a tenant farmer on the other side of Rosings. The family had seemed very sensible.

"I heard he called her Elizabeth as though they had known each other for some time, intimately. What had she done before to capture such interest? That is what we should be asking."

Elizabeth had to bite her lips to keep from retorting. They could not possibly be speaking of her! And yet, who else could they mean? Asleep on the ground? Did they mean during the fire when she had fallen from the tree and lost consciousness? Mr. Darcy had come to her aid, but he had surely been every part the gentleman. What falsehoods if they were speaking of her! She now strained to hear more, knowing that information would be priceless to stop the rumors.

"They must be engaged or courting. Sally says he is always looking at her. Perhaps it is a secret engagement. Everyone knows that the great lady is wanting him for her daughter." There was a short pause, and then with excitement, the man continued, "What if she burnt the parsonage in hopes of staying at the manor house and closer to Mr. Darcy?"

Elizabeth tried to stop her mind from whirling so she could hear the rest before they moved out of earshot. She was desperate to hear everything she and Mr. Darcy had been accused of.

"Gordon! You exaggerate. She was in the house and would have died if she had not climbed out a window onto a tree. The fire began in the kitchen. Sally was working in the house that day. The kitchen stove was baking bread unattended when Sally had left to spend time at home. Miss Bennet had already removed herself to nap. She never bothered the kitchen except to claim day-old bread for her early morning walks."

Elizabeth shuddered. How could they know so much and yet still believe Mr. Darcy could behave so? Unfortunately, their voices were now too far to make out. She strained to hear Gordon concoct one last ridiculous rumor that the others shut down immediately. What should she do? They clearly believed Mr. Darcy and she had behaved improperly. Mr. Darcy always stared at her, this was true, but never with any affection. To suppose they were secretly engaged!

Then she remembered his look from their evening encounter in the library when he had tucked a stray curl over her ear. He had certainly not been distant and foreboding then. Could he possibly care for her? She had never thought it possible. No, it simply must be a mistake. She would attempt to be more observant that evening. Then she might know his mind better.

AN: Thanks for reading.