Fitzwilliam Darcy
Hertfordshire
Mr. Darcy rose in the morning, determined to make his way to Longbourn and set about making amends with Elizabeth Bennet. His fate, he felt, hung in the balance, but more than that he felt a need to prove to her that he wasn't the man whom she'd seen at the Meryton Assembly. He wanted her to know that he had just be in a pet that day, put out by the pressures his father had placed upon him. She would see, he hoped, that he was a good and true man, worthy to take her as a wife.
He dressed in his finest morning coat that would not be too ostentatious for a day in the country, and departed Netherfield before he saw his father again. He had no wish to run into the older man, as so far each such visit had proved unpleasant and difficult especially when they were not in the company of others. While the change in his father's attitude may have seemed inexplicable to the casual observer, Mr. Darcy knew that it was likely his father's use of spirits in an increasing frequency that could attribute the mercurial moods the old man seemed to be experiencing.
Mr. Darcy wished, not for the first time, that his mother was still alive, although it was perhaps the first time that he longed for her to act as a balm for his father's behavior.
He arrived at Longbourn in good time, the drive of the small gig not inclined to small chit-chat that Darcy often found himself subjected to when the servant in question was not aware of his stature. Not that he found idle conversation with servants to be in particular discomfiting, more just that he found all idle conversation to be outside of the realm of things he wished to pass time upon. But you would not mind if it Miss Elizabeth who filled your ears with chatter, would you, old boy? he could practically here Colonel Fitzwilliam's wry commentary, and he was grateful that the Colonel would sometimes lay quite late abed and had not been up to join him on his little foray towards Meryton.
The note he had sent upon rising had arrived, and already Mrs. Bennet was ready to receive him, although there were a dearth of young females in her sitting room.
"Mr. Darcy," she exclaimed, as she rose from her seat, Mr. Collins rising from his a hair of a moment later. "How lovely it is of you to call upon us, and quite the surprise…" she trailed off as she gave a nervous little look to Mr. Collins, who was looking pallid in the morning light. "The girls have just gone upon a task set to them by Mr. Collins, and should return shortly. Only my youngest is here, but she is not out yet…" There it came again, another nervous look Mrs. Bennet paid to Mr. Collins and the other man seemed to disregard it entirely.
Normally the insipid little fellow had a rather weak smile on his face, an affected look that Darcy had paid no mind to, but that morning Mr. Collins was all thunderclouds and frowns. Mr. Darcy was certain that Miss Elizabeth's refusal of the proposal was probably greatly to do with it. Mrs. Bennet looked positively terrified of her nephew, and as silly as she was, Mr. Darcy took exception to any man inspiring fear in a lady. He determined, right then, that he would do whatever it took to cut the other man and encourage calm and serenity in Mrs. Bennet.
"I found myself delighted by Longbourn and the hostess who keeps it," Mr. Darcy said, ignoring Mr. Collins entirely and choosing instead to lavish attention on Mrs. Bennet. She was still a handsome woman despite her age and the number of children she had born, and when she smiled at him it transformed her face from tired and anxious to one of a refined beauty. It was not hard to see what had drawn Mr. Bennet to her in the first place, if it had not been her familial connections which he understood to be quite meager and common.
"Oh, these young men, so adept in the ways of flattery," Mrs. Bennet said, flicking open her fan and fluttering it anxiously, but she still smiled despite herself. "It is a wonder, Mr. Darcy, that you are not married as of yet, with such a skilled art of complimenting the ladies."
Mr. Collins cleared his throat, a phlegmy noise that made Mr. Darcy's own throat swallow convulsively.
"A well practiced art can be barely discernible from the truly spontaneous flirtations of a gentleman," Mr. Collins said, looking thoroughly displeased. "I would advise you, Mr. Darcy, that the most delicate little compliments would suit you best if you paid them so as to appear un-studied. I often find it is best to be prepared, as ladies do so enjoy being paid such kind words, and better still if they think it had not been unrehearsed in advanced." Mr. Darcy tried not to cough in amusement at being lectured by the other man, who seemed as if he had no concept at all what a young woman might like. Mr. Darcy was certainly not of the mind to take into account Mr. Collins' opinion regarding women, or the courting of them, since the man was probably better suited to courting a horse than a lady of breeding.
There was a great clatter at the front of the house, and Mr. Darcy rose to his feet as the young ladies of the house entered, their bonnets barely pulled from their heads, gloves still on. They stopped short at the sight of him, all four of the older girl and then even the littlest, Lydia in a pretty light green dress and matching bonnet, whom he'd not met before.
"Good morning," he said, to the five pairs of wide eyes who glanced between him and Mr. Collins in some sort of surprise- although whether it was at his presence or for some other reason, he could not guess.
He tried to look at Jane, and imagine her in some way as his wife, and failed in such an utterly miserable manner that he was forced to swallow around the lump in his throat. It was not that she was not lovely- she was, incredibly beautiful and sonnets should have been written in her honor. It was not that she was not well-mannered, with a sweet and kindly disposition. It was not that he worried she would be unsuitable to the running of as large as a household as Pemberley was.
It was that she simply was not Elizabeth. He found his eye drawn again and again to the dark-haired, second-eldest Bennet daughter and his heart would not be waylaid. It knew the woman he wanted, so very desperately. He was not even ashamed at the depths of his feelings, but instead embraced them.
Mrs. Bennet fluttered somewhat as everyone settled in their seats, although Lydia was escorted back upstairs by one of the servants. Mr. Collins nodded to his cousins with a sly smile on his face. Mr. Darcy felt a vague sense of foreboding in his belly at the look on the other man's face.
In the short period of time he had spent with Mr. Collins, Mr. Darcy was quite convinced that he was no particular fan of the little man. He especially did not like the way that Mr. Collins' gaze lingered on his cousins' bodies in the most inappropriate of fashions. It set the gentlemanly sensibilities within him on edge, and he longed to call the other man aside and quickly and swiftly cut him for his behavior. Still, it was not his home and he did not feel as if he had any rights at all to speak to Mr. Collins on the matter.
Elizabeth spread her skirts delicately as she sat, and Mrs. Bennet called for more tea for her returned daughters. Jane gave Mr. Darcy a weak smile, sitting close to him as she might without being unseemly and too forward. He did not blame either of the elder girls for avoiding Mr. Collins and giving him a wide berth.
"Were you able to take stock of the tenants as I requested?" Mr. Collins asked, leaning back in his chair with a smug look on his face once more. Mr. Darcy found it a curious matter to bring up in front of a stranger, since he was no familiar family to Mr. Collins, nor a friend.
"Yes, Mr. Collins," Jane said, "or at least-"
"We have begun the list as you asked," Elizabeth interrupted her sister with a proud shake of her head. "But it will be more than a few days for the servants to visit all of them, and update the accounting books for Papa. But," she paused and looked at Mr. Darcy. He felt caught in the deep rich brown of her eyes, a color he could only liken to the well-worn and cared for saddle leather. Her eyes gleamed and he felt more than ever he wished to take a private audience with her and ask her to become his right then and there.
He would have, had Mr. Collins not interrupted his plans entirely with a particularly cutting remark:
"I did not wish to hear from you, Miss Elizabeth, your sister is perfectly capable of answering to me, as she is eldest and my favored, it my wish that you fall silent when she speaks."
There was an echo as the sisters inhaled, and even small Kitty did not giggle, her eyes wide and lined with tears in her pale face. It was too much. Mr. Darcy frowned at Mr. Collins and stood.
"Mr. Collins," he said in a low voice. "As you are to inherit Longbourn, have you had a chance to walk to Meryton? I myself have made the trip by horse, but I have heard by foot there are quite a few sights to be seen." He did not relish the idea of accompanying Mr. Collins anywhere, but if it would get him out of the presence of the Bennets and prevent him from injuring further the woman he hoped to make his wife in the near future, he would do anything he could.
Mr. Collins' eyes lit up in what could only be a perverse manner, and he stood as well.
"Ah, I have not. But I would not turn down a happy little jaunt, if the opportunity were to present itself," Mr. Collins said with a pleased little smile. "In fact, I have long since desired to make your proper acquaintance, and a walk of that manner would lend itself well to deep discussion in the matter of our mutual associates."
Mr. Darcy felt a small part of him wither away inside of himself, but he knew that he would not suffer to stand there and allow Mr. Collins to continue to insult Miss Elizabeth. He gave Mr. Collins is best, most empty social smile, and then nodded to Mrs. Bennet, and then the girls.
"I beg your leave, my ladies, to show Mr. Collins the delights of Meryton," he said.
"Oh but," Mrs. Bennet interrupted, "surely it would be of no matter for the girls to accompany you." A look of panic had risen in her eyes, and while he knew that she wished to see her daughters well associated with both men, he would not expose Elizabeth to Mr. Collins any further than he could help.
"No, no, but thank you for the offer," Mr. Darcy said quickly, before Mr. Collins could agree to it. "I would ensure this trip is for gentlemen only." With that he nodded to Mr. Collins, and exited the room.
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